DARKMATTERS - The Mind of Matt
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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Spiderman 3 Trailer hits...
"some schmuck thinks this is a the real venom... watch the 'actual' Spiderman 3 trailer from the link below and decide for yourself!"
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_3/
Oh yes... I'm very excited...
Darkmatters: H O M E
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Film Review: Over The Hedge
Over The Hedge (U)
Dir. Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
There are some seriously strong animal instincts out there but the most powerful is ‘survival’… So if you’re a small furry critter that hibernates - finding and storing enough food to see you through the winter is sure to be high on your ‘things to do’ list. RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis) has the added incentive that if he fails to collect a specific extensive shopping list of foodstuffs he will be hunted down and killed by a huge grizzly bear (voiced by Nick Nolte)… And so it is that he stumbles across a lovable bunch of misfit animals who have had their woodland habitat built over whilst they’ve been sleeping. Now separating them from what were once their foraging grounds is a massive hedge that goes off for miles in either direction. Things look dire for all concerned; can RJ rally this pack of reluctant friends to grab the food he needs from the dangerous human suburbia? Will he manage to pay his debt to the big bad bear before ending up on the menu? Or will the other side of the hedge be the end of them all at the hands of the malicious ‘Verminator’…sworn destroyer of animals, armed with some of the most evil and ingenious traps, snares and extermination gear ever dreamt up!
Dreamworks follow up Shrek and Madagascar with this madcap critter comedy that confidently sweeps weak pretenders like ‘The Wild’ away and continues their rivalry with Pixar – who’s Cars will be unleashed here next month. Over The Hedge is overall a decent entry into the ever increasing animated family film cannon. The CGI effects are crisp and clean and there is a general sense of fun and mischief that should appeal to all ages. It certainly went down with my younger son James who pronounced that it was ‘wicked cool’… I can only blame the ‘hip’ script and the casting of Avril Lavigne as a teenage daughter possum. Casting Bruce Willis in the lead however was a genius idea and he carries the movie with his charismatic energy, smooth banter and quick wit.
Also of note is the loveable speedy squirrel (voiced by Steve ‘The 40 Year-Old Virgin‘ Carell) who steals the show with his Matrix induced ‘bullet time’ sequence after being given caffeine for the first time!
A delicious montage about our insatiable human food fixation is another highlight. For family fun this week there are few places better to go than Over The Hedge…
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ööö – critters go M:I at one point!
Laughs öööö – Funny
Horror ö – Very mild
Babes öö – Avril as a Possum? That's kinky...
Overall ööö1/2 (might drive you over the (h)edge)
"he's nuts alright"
"Bruce making friends with his furry alter ego"
Matt Adcock Meets Bruce Willis
Darkmatters: H O M E
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Matt Adcock Meets Bruce Willis
Matt Adcock Meets Bruce Willis
He’s the one actor who has probably inspired me more than any other. In 1988 Die Hard changed action films forever and blew me away (I was 17). Even before that I had been hooked on Moonlighting and now here he is sitting a few metres in front of me. Trying to keep me cool I ask him some questions but before I can he is already making quality small talk:
“You should know that I’m rooting for England in the World Cup!” he says with a winning smile. That’s a great way to get the English media ‘on side’ and it works a treat. So Bruce Willis is in London to promote Over The Hedge – the new animated film from Dreamworks in which he voices a loveable rascal raccoon named RJ.
So what was it like providing the voice for the furry lead character?
“Well I honestly thought I was voicing a rabbit for some time… So I was bewildered when I saw RJ on screen. It’s quite tough doing voice over work – in most films I get cool props, guns and stuff plus other actors to react to. For this it was just a microphone!”
But did you enjoy it?
“It was fun to get into RJ mode. He is a devil may care character, the David Addison (from Moonlighting) of the animal kingdom. There are lots of funny things that kids will be able to relate to, but much is written specifically for the adults.”
And what do your teenage kids think of Over The Hedge?
“They actually loved it and gave it 6 thumbs up and I should tell you that my kids can be very critical of my work! But the teenagers are one of the three main groups who will dig this film – obviously along with children and their parents.”
Now, you’ve often played underdog heroes who overcome horrific odds to save the day. Were you tempted to have RJ get a gun so that he could take out the huge nasty bear that menaces him in the film?
“You bet, and not just the bear. I actually took out the whole family starting with Vern, then I set their log on fire for good measure – but I don’t think that made the final cut somehow.”
It certainly wasn’t in the version I saw. So has the film changed the way you look at animals?
“You know, I think that we humans have forgotten that we’re basically animals too – just we’re top of the food chain. But if you went to Africa and tried to take on a lion out in the open – he’d take you out, he’d look at you and think ‘food’.”
Animal or not, Bruce Willis is certainly pretty near the top of the Hollywood food chain at the moment. Over The Hedge certainly won’t do any harm to his reputation either, even if I must confess that I’m already hotly anticipating his return to action in the much talked about Die Hard 4!
Earlier Post about Bruce Willis
Darkmatters: H O M E
Friday, June 23, 2006
Oh man... going to finally meet Keira Knightley!!
"er, why hello Keira, can I just say how 'hot' you are?"
Thought it couldn't get any better when the Bruce Willis press meeting invite came through... Indeed Richard from FILMSTALKER even asked "where do you go from here?"
But at the start of this year a enquired: "If you could meet / interview any two film stars this year who would you choose?"
I replied: "Bruce Willis - top choice for male actor (he's just the coolest)
and Keira Knightley for female actress (because she's so gorgeous and seems to be a top bird all round)"
Later today I'm meeting Bruce in London as he goes 'Over The Hedge' and thanks to the wonderful people over at BUENA VISTA INTERNATIONAL in two weeks will be meeting Keira as she buckles her swash for Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest... Oh and some guy named Johnny Depp will be there too.
"Keira bends over backwards to make a good impression"
"Miss Knightley wondering what to wear to the Press Conference?"
Keira is FHM's Sexiest Woman 2006
Darkmatters: H O ME
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Family Guy Season 4... rocks!!
"damn you all... one day the world will be MINE!"
Family Guy Season 4 (15)
Disc One reviewed by Matt Adcock
I've been 'pleasure delaying' watching this... knowing it might be the last new Family Guy stuff I'll ever get but itching to watch the whole series through in one sitting cos I love it so much...
The first 4 episodes of Season 4 are excellent - packing more punch than the ever so slightly disappointing 'movie' from last year
Here are my thoughts on the first disc worth of fun:
North by North Quahog: or the one where Peter fights Mel Gibson, Christ returns in 'The Passion of the Christ 2" and it opens with a wonderful sucker punch to other cancelled shows!
DM rating (out of 5) öööö
Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High: the one where it offends my wife with over the top crude jokes, but really you just have to laugh (that's the point)...
DM rating (out of 5) ööö
Blind Ambition: the one that has an awesome take off of the ending of Star Wars: A New Hope and the best man vs chicken fight ever screened...
DM rating (out of 5) öööö
Don't Make Me Over: pick of the bunch of the first 4... super cool make over the ugly daughter, classic lines from evil baby stewie - it's Family Guy heaven!!
DM rating (out of 5) ööööö
Darkmatters: H O ME
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Film Review: Avalon (2001)
R U Alive?
"Since we're feeling so anesthetised... in our comfort zones..."
Sometimes you just need to check:
Reading - C.H. Spurgeon 'Morning & Evening' (oldschool wisdom)
Listening to - Lostprophets 'Rooftops' (back after 18 months with a single of the week)
Playing - 'Sacrifice' PC (best 'God' game ever?)
Watching - Mamoru Oshii's 'Avalon' (review soon)
Thinking - 'It's good to be alive'
Darkmatters: H O M E
Monday, June 19, 2006
Going to meet Bruce Willis
"so Matt, what's on your mind?"
Yes... Five years of reviewing films for the weekly newspapers, two years of meeting 'A List' Hollywood stars, a year and a half of blogging and finally my chance to put a question or two to my very favourite actor...
Bruce Willis has made me whoop out loud in the cinema like nobody else (um apart from perhaps my slutty ex-girlfriend Kelly back in '90), has delivered some of the coolest film dialogue ever and still surprises with pitch perfect performances like Sin City. I've been a huge fan ever since Moonlighting originally ran back in 1985... I'm sad enough to have gone back and watched his cameo appearence in Miami Vice back in '84 (episode is called 'No Exit' if you're interested).
So as 'Over the Hedge' comes to the UK and Bruce voices R.J. the little furry critter who spouts lines like: "That is an S.U.V. humans ride in them because they are slowly loosing their ability to walk." I'll be there... colour me happy!!
My top 5 Bruce Willis films:
1. Die Hard (1988)
2. Sin City (2005)
3. The Last Boyscout (1991)
4. Unbreakable (2000)
5. 12 Monkeys (1995)
"Yippee-ki-yay, mother...ker - I'm meeting Matt"
Earlier post about Bruce Willis
Darkmatters: H O M E
Film Review: Hard Candy
Hard Candy (18)
Dir. David Slade
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
Prepare to be shocked, provoked and toyed with by Hayley, the smartest, most unhinged 14-year-old you’re ever likely to meet. Sure she looks cute, like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth but there is pure ice in her eyes and revenge on her mind…The other player in this hardcore, twist-packed examination of crime and punishment is Jeff. Jeff’s a charming, successful 32 year old guy, by day he photographs models for fashion magazines but by night he just might be a sick paedophile killer of young girls. Hard Candy is the white knuckle tale of what happens when Jeff picks up Hayley after flirting with her online… Is he just pathetically lonely? Is she just dangerously naive? Not a chance. Hard Candy is a bold and refreshing twist on the predator / victim scenario and the dangers of internet grooming. David ‘MTV Video Director’ Slade’s big screen debut is a disturbing fast train to a place where anything can happen and it hits like a punch to the face. The skill of the tale is that it keeps you off balance right from the icky start where we get to monitor their inappropriate chatroom courtship. But just who is courting who and why? Nothing is quite as it first seems and like the best horror thrillers Hard Candy keeps you guessing right up until the end,
Ellen Page who plays Haley delivers a stunning powerhouse performance and shows that she’s destined for greatness – you might have also spotted her last month in Xmen: The Last Stand as Shadow Cat. Anyway, here she is Hannibal Lecter in a mini skirt on a mission to ‘out’ Jeff (Patrick Wilson) as a criminal and potentially ensure that he never transgresses again.
Be advised that this is not a simple cat and mouse game but a fully fledged scalpel wielding exposition backed up with graphic violence – most of it directed towards Jeff’s nether regions. If you’re a medical student you might even want to take notes as young Haley reaches the parts that most horror films dare not reach. Unless you’re a bloke of course in which case you’ll be too busy sweating, crossing your legs and squirming in your seat.
It’s rare to see a film quite so highly relevant in today’s climate of abuse of lenient sentencing outrages… Controversial and expertly scripted, Hard Candy should be seen by anyone who has erm… the ‘balls’.
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ööö – Crunching, chopping etc
Laughs öö – Couple of smart jokes - very dark
Horror öööö – Add an extra star if you have nuts
Babes ööö – Page is jailbait alright - but jail would be preferable than what she has in mind!
Overall öööö (A must see thriller)
"now Jeff... what other parts do you want me to chop off?"
Additional info: David Slade's next film is going to be 30 Days of Night, one of the best ever graphic novels (by the twisted genius who is Steve Niles). The plot is about a town where it gets dark for over a month - the perfect place you might think for a gathering of sunlight adverse vampires... and you'd be right! V. excited about this one...
Earlier post about Hard Candy: Sugar We're Going Down
Darkmatters: H O M E
Friday, June 16, 2006
Hard Candy - A Must See Movie
"who will survive and what will be left of them..."
Full review this weekend (damn this distracting football World Cup).
Earlier post about Hard Candy: http://darkmatt.blogspot.com/2006/01/hard-candy-sugar-were-going-down.html
Darkmatters: H O M E
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
New Sony Vaio Desktop
"the VAIO has landed"
The tech bods at Sony be praised...
"it looks good and it functions even better..."
Much happiness is abound in the home of the Adcocks - our new VA1 baby is up and running and has the most beautiful screen I've ever witnesses for PC use (important things like watching DVDs e.g. Sin City, playing Dawn of War, blogging etc)...
Check the specs here: Sony VA1
Darkmatters: H O M E
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Film Review: RV
RV (PG)
Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
They’re out there…waiting. They can sense your fear, they know your every weakness and if you don’t finish making their dinner soon they’ll strike… remember… ‘On a family vacation, no one can hear you scream’.
So, if you haven’t planned your summer holiday yet you could always just hire a huge RV (Recreational Vehicle for those non yank literate) and head off into the hills with the family. Seems like a great idea yeah, and what better to get you in the mood than a sentimental, heart warming Robin Williams comedy in the style of National Lampoon’s Family Vacation? Oh right, yes, I see your point…
Anyway, RV sees put upon dad Bob Munro (Robin Williams in slightly restrained comedy mode) taking his dysfunctional family cross-country on a hellish road trip to the Colorado Rockies. This plan isn’t greeted with great enthusiasm by the rest of the Munro clan – self-absorbed wife Jamie, daughter Cassie and son Carl - mostly because they had planned a beach vacation in Hawaii instead.
The kids played by pop starlet JoJo and Josh ‘Zathura’ Hutcherson, convince as the spoilt attention seeking hell spawn, ashamed to be seen within 100 metres of their well meaning dad. When asked to christen the RV they come up with “rolling turd” a fairly fitting name all things considered.
Comedy mishaps dog the family every step of the way, most memorable of which include a full body excrement shower and various run encounters with Jeff Daniels’ RV clan of home schooled backwater good ol boys and girls. Plus the parking brakes are shot on the RV so whenever the script writer gets stuck for inspiration (at least eight times I counted) – it rolls off and hilarity ensues…
It’s deeply forgettable stuff but less offensive than it could have been mostly thanks to everyone going at it 110% in an attempt to make it a fun lightweight diversion.
And Williams can still be funny – for example, at the beginning his young daughter tells him “I'm never going to get married,” to which he replies “Ah, it's not as bad as it looks.”Can Bob win over his family, deliver the killer sales pitch and escape the backwater hicks? I think you already know the answer, whether or not you want to see it played out on a big screen is entirely up to you.
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ö – Slapstick
Laughs öö – Some
Horror ö – Unless you have a fear of Robin Williams
Babes ööö – JoJo's too young for you!
Overall ö1/2 (Amusing in places but weak overall)
"this could go either way..."
Darkmatters: H O M E
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Kidulthood - the 'Hoodies ate my childhood' review
Kidulthood (15)
Dir. Menhaj Huda
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
Kids today eh? Fifteen year olds shagging, fighting and doing drugs – and that’s just in the playgrounds… If you’ve already written this off as exploitative nonsense then you’re probably still of the mind that the worst excesses of childhood were depicted on screen by the BBC in Grange Hill… Blood - you’re in desperate need of a dose of Kidulthood…
Welcome to a West London drama that's torn straight out of the pages of the hoodie hating tabloids. Written by Noel Clarke - yes he of Dr Who softy boyfriend of Rose (Billie Piper) fame… Soft he ain’t though bro, he be the top boy, he the man wif da rispect… Oh and a baseball bat and nasty temper… See as well as writing this he also stars as Sam, the hardnut bully bad ass sixth former, the school playground gangsta, the one what is so hard that he’ll nick your GBA off ya, shag your girlfriend bareback and beat you half to death for the privilege…
We join bad boy Sam (Clake actually does a great job with this character, showing his vulnerability only in glimpses which reminded me of Presley Chweneyagae in Tsotsi) as one of his victims is pushed over the edge by one happy slapping too far and takes her own life… Her classmates get a day off compassionate leave but compassion is the last thing on their minds. Think more - sex, drugs, shoplifting, partying and beatings and you’re in the right place!
Menhaj Huda doesn’t flinch from showing the compromised lives of these young pups. Jamie Winston (yeah daughter of sexy beast Ray) is good as the heartless slut of the piece - spouting pick up lines to her classmates like “you can put up my ass, it hurts but I don’t mind” when not sucking off older men for drugs… her parents are nowhere to be found (they’d be so proud too?).
Aml Ameen is also worthy of note as the charismatic but tortured Trife who is torn between his mates funnyman Jay and wannabe respected but it’s going to be tough with his nickname: Moony.
Ever wise Chris Curtis sums it all up like this:
“Young people whose lives have become so small and tribalistic that life-threatening conflicts arise out of minor arguments; where sex is a commodity so common that it can happen in the corner of a bedroom whilst other teenagers sit around playing computer games; and where life is dominated by the need to indulge in every hedonistic excess conceivable. The truth is that this film captures a slice of teenage life that really does exist and which is shaping a generation before our eyes.”
Overall Kidulthood is worth watching, especially if you liked Bullet Boy from a couple of years ago which makes a nice companion piece alongside this.
In an interview Noel said: "Bullying, happy-slapping ...whatever you name it, it is happening already, the film is highlighting that, not promoting it. It's saying, 'This is going on. Deal with it.’” Good point I say!!
Read the DM review of the sequel 'Adulthood' here: The Hoodies Strike Back
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ööö – Beat dis
Laughs öö – Dark comedy man
Horror öö – Add two stars if you've a teenage son or daughter
Babes ööö – Jailbait all the way
Overall ööö1/2 (Tough and mildly shocking - very watchable)
"Miss Piper... not actually in the film"
Darkmatters: H O M E
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Kindred Spirits...
"Got absolutely no idea if she looks anything like this...
but you should seriously consider checking her film review blog - see link below!"
Whilst poking about on IMDB's external review links - Darkmatters being #3 for the new Omen remake at the time - I stumbled across a(nother) very cool film review blog and I'd strongly recommend that you check it out - it appears to be run by a female film nut and her team of crack (head) writers... See what you can do if you have the time, energy and a team of mates backing you up!?
Link:
http://bina007.blogspot.com/
And here's her United 93 review which is so good I'm not going to bother reviewing it myself!?:
http://bina007.blogspot.com/2006/06/my-perverse-reaction-to-united-93.html
Darkmatters: H O M E
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Film Review: Poseidon
Poseidon (12a)
Dir. Wolfgang Petersen
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
Congratulations – you’re the lucky winner of a trip aboard Poseidon, the largest cruise ship ever built. You’re sure to thrill as a massive ‘rogue wave’ hits, you’ll wince at the hammy acting of the trapped survivors, you’ll probably think to yourself ‘haven’t I seen this all somewhere before?’ and you’ll be right. Yes the current Hollywood craze to remake every single film and TV show ever made is still running out of control and here a new sparkly version of 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure. The plot is the exactly same - a small group of passengers, including ‘loveable rogue gambler’ Dylan Johns (a smug Josh Lucas) and ex Mayor of New York Robert Ramsey (an earnest Kurt Russell) try to escape from the slowly sinking ship. Also on board but owing to their lack of star power and / or ethnic traits – deemed much more expendable are Elena Gonzalez (a plucky Mía Maestro), downtrodden bellhop Valentin (Freddy Rodríguez) and onboard singer Gloria (Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas).
In fact the only ‘guaranteed to make it out alive or I’ll eat my cinema ticket’ are a pair of young lovers namely Jennifer (the gorgeous when wet Emmy Rossum) and her fiancé Christian (dashing but wimpy Mike Vogel).
It’s all very predictable stuff, with each new scene playing out like a level of a computer game… Obstacles include flash fires, impaling, drowning, falling, overtly rubbish acting – yes I’m looking at you Richard Dreyfuss.
Deep moral dilemmas do pop up like – you’re in an inverted lift shaft struggling to climb up with a Mexican waiter holding onto your leg. The lift starts to fall and threatens to kill you both so do you:
a. Callously kick the waiter off ensuring his certain death but giving you a chance to survive?
or
b. Reluctantly kick the waiter off anyway as he’s only a minor character?
The only real reason to go and see Poseidon is to marvel at the special effects of the AAA nautical destruction, which are quite something to behold.
But if it’s disaster that you’ve got a hankering for, I’d strongly recommend you choose United 93 instead. This powerful retelling of the 4th hijacked plane from the 9/11 tragedy is a pure white-knuckle overdose, made all the more horrific by the fact that it actually happened. In comparison Poseidon’s soggy disasters and plastic characters pale considerably.
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ööö – Wet and wonderful in places
Laughs ö – Few and fare between but it's not a comedy!
Horror öö – Not grim enough really
Babes ööö – Emmy 'wears a mean wet dress' Rossum...
Overall öö1/2 (Goes down well but instantly forgettable)
"not bad in the dry either..."
Darkmatters: H O M E
Film Review: The Omen 2006
The Omen (15)
Dir. John Moore
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
You must listen to me: I have seen and measured the signs; I know what is to come, yes it is even is amongst us already…
So those who have understanding – answer me this: What do you get if you cross a jackal, the devil, a big Hollywood budget and a little kid who can’t act? The answer is a flashy but dim remake of the 1976 devil child thriller The Omen.
The new money making excuse / retelling is far more glossy and devilishly slick than the original but also faithful to its source material. This time Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles do their best as the little Antichrist’s adopted American parents – the Thorns. Director John ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ Moore unsurprisingly ups the loud ‘what’s that goat headed creature in the mirror?’ jump moments whilst ticking off all the main plot points. See little Damien create more chaos in a zoo then even Harry Potter managed, wonder at the ever over used use of red imagery and ponder the meaning of the major world events (9/11, Hurricane Katrina etc) shoehorned in as sure ‘signs’ that the end is coming.
Wicked young Damien is played with a blank lack of emotion throughout by Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick and doesn’t bring any chill to the screen. Brit thespians including David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, and Michael Gambon rally to the cause but are really just fodder to be executed in horrific computer enhanced gory deaths. You’ll wince at the graphic decapitations and lightning rod impalings - if you’re still awake. Mia ‘Rosemary's Baby’ Farrow even pops up as the obligatory devil-worshipping nanny but it’s generally more ho hum than you’d expect.
Actually I heard that the devil has already called his agent demanding a better role in any Damian:Omen 2 remake…
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Action ööö – Plodding but there in places
Laughs öö – More unintentional than planned
Horror ööö – The devil should be able to scare ya more than this!
Overall öö1/2 (Not terrible but not terribly good either)
"those satanic rose petals will get you in the end..."
Darkmatters: H O M E